Best reloading manual for 41 magnum

[cbourbeau32]

For those who reload the 41 magnum. Which manual (brand and year please) has the most data for the 41 magnum? Thanks in advance. Charlie 

[R.W.Dale]

Hodgdon online data centre.

Best of all it's free

[DDZ]

Or you can get a load book for the .41 mag. which has copied data from most of the popular loading manuals. They cost around $7.00 from Midway. 

[cbourbeau32]

Well I have the 41 mag manual and I have referenced the Hodgdon online database from time to time but I am planning to use either Accuate #5 or #7 with 260 grain cast bullets and neither the book or the site help me with that. Charlie   

[R.W.Dale]

Or you can get a load book for the .41 mag. which has copied data from most of the popular loading manuals. They cost around $7.00 from Midway. 

these are great for people who want to pay $8 for really out of date data from the 80's that include none of the powders or bullets developed in the past 20yrs.

[cbourbeau32]

Krochus I can't disgree with you too much regarding the "one caliber" manual. It has some good loads but the 41 mag isn't the caliber with the most listed loads anyway.

[Sweetwater]

Check out accurate's web site? or drop them a line as to what you intend and get their input. Most anything else "out of the mainstream" for the 41mag is going to come from the membership of this site and others who "have done it". IT just don't get no respect! I don't use your desired powders so that's all I can offer.

[Dand]

For really heavy, nonstandard bullets in the 41, Hodgdon annual manual and or the Lee manual. Not a lot of experimenting is documented with the 41 mag compared to 44 mag, 45 colt etc.  I have scrounged some data from various sites and worked up carefully.  You might try some of the commercial bullet caster web sites.  I don't know if Oregon Trail lists loads for their heavy 41 mag bullets but I'd check there.  Also, is it Beartooth that offers heavy cast in 41?  I think they have web page with load data. A mould maker - Great West?- used to offer a small list of loads and info they had gotten from experimenting with various wts of 41 mag cast bullets. It uses old powders, H110, 2400, 4227 is about all I think.  HTH

[wncchester]

"I am planning to use either Accuate #5 or #7 with 260 grain cast bullets and neither the book or the site help me with that. Charlie  "

If you are more interested in that powder than the cartridge itself then you should get an Accurate Powder's book.  ??

[Dand]

cbour, from my reading of  your post it sounds like you have some powder and are determined to use it with the bullets you want. If you can't find data it might be that you shouldn't use that powder with that wt of bullet.

Most folks pick a bullet THEN get the RIGHT powder for it.

If you have some powder you are determined to use, then pick bullet weights appropriate for the powder.

My apologies if I am misreading your post. There may be a reason there is no data for the combination you want to do.

Call the powder manufacturer and tell them what you would like to do and get their advice.

At the same time safety is most important.

[cbourbeau32]

Dand, I don't think you misunderstood really. I did email Accurate powders and they sent me a load for #7 and the 260 grain bullet. I was just hoping to find a manual with some other data for #5 and #7. Thanks for the replies. Charlie 

[Sweetwater]

Charlie- one of the fascinations of cartridges like the 41Mag as we get to write the book on lots of combinations that either didn't get tried for whatever reason or the company in question writing the book felt that better combinations were more worthy of being published. I do not disagree with very much that has been posted, however, I also have been in the position of making similar decisions when having powder on hand with no data for the cartridge or bullet that I wanted to use. That's pretty much where you are. I just spent a few minutes on the Accurate Arms web site and in a couple of my manuals. With my level of experience, 50 years+, I could make an informed decision and start load developing with your given choice of powder and bullet - and be confident that I could find a decent load, or find out why there is no data published. Really no different than working up a wildcat, except you do have known relationships with other powders and similar cartridges.

In lieu of the elusive manual, you my friend are on an adventurous journey.

Stay safe and have fun AND write it up!

[Autorim]

As you have noticed, there is not a wealth of good info available for the .41 mag compared to other calibers. My Lyman manual does not list any cast bullet loads. My Nosler manual has loads with AA 7 and 9, but shows W296 as the most accurate powder tested. Most manuals seem to only show magnum loads.

I currently have two .41 mag Rugers that I am using for load development - 5.5 inch Bisley and 7.5 inch Bisley.
They have been around for a while, but Unique and 2400 still perform well and give me excellent results. In heavier loads W296 works very well. I have stocks of cast bullets from Lasercast, Missouri Bullets, Montana, Mt. Baldy, Beartooth and some gifted to me by a friend. I also have a stock of Nosler jacketed bullets. Weights are from 210 to 250 grains. I have iron sights, red dots and a 2x Leupold.

I am looking for loads to be in the 1100 fps range with cast bullets. The jacketed bullets are loaded near max. I have been chronographing and test shooting. It looks like I will be hunting with Unique or 2400 and 230 or 250 cast bullets. Good luck with the Accurate powders. Right now I see no reason to abandon Unique or 2400.

Sort of like IMR 4895 and 4350 for rifles. You can load nearly anything with them.

Ken

[Sweetwater]

Ken - That's really the tried and true. I've burned a LOT of IMR+H4895, IMR+H4350, Unique and 2400.

I've also burned a few pounds of W296, BlueDot, GreenDot, Herco, Bullseye, PB, 700X, WC820, H414, H380, W748, BallC2, IMR4227, IMR+H 4198, IMR4320, IMR+H4831, IMR4064, IMR3031, AA2230, AL7, Trail Boss, RL7, RL19, RL22 and maybe a few more. A lot of duplication and a tremendous amount of overlap.
Some I will try to not run out of and some I will never use any more of.

I've worked a lot of cartridge/powder/bullet combinations for which little or no 'exact' data was available. I look for similarities with cartridges for which data is available and determine for myself what I am willing to try and what looks "too iffy". I still have all my fingers, toes, and eyes. A point can usually be determined for a starting load with any given powder and bullet for a cartridge. The rest is "work up slowly". I have confidently found starting loads for my 94Winchester 32WSpl for cast bullets @ 183gr (for which no data is available) using Green Dot, PB, 700x, Unique, Bullseye, 2400, 4227, 4198, 4895, 4064, 4350 and H335. Some stayed at plinking levels under 1700fps, some went to hunting levels at 2230fps and brought down a cow elk.

Charlie, that's where you are. Not exactly uncharted water, but for sure little is published. You, sir, have two choices, and they are YOUR choices. You can depart from your journey and "stay within the published data" as will be recommended by many. For sure the safe and cautious route. OR, you can continue to bug AA for more pertinent data, researching the data that is available and determine where the overlaps are into what you want to accomplish.

This is NOT 'Beginner Handloading' - Do Not attempt if you are uncomfortable or lack years of knowledge. It is not learned overnight. There is a reason some bullet makers who list powder charges with their bullets do not recommend anything faster than AA#9 for their 250's and up in the 41mag and 45Colt. (only cartridges I've seen data accompany the bullets, though I'm sure others exist.)  However, there is information available that can guide you to use stuff as fast as Bullseye, if that's what you choose.

The Very Bottom Line is "Stay Safe".

[DDZ]

Or you can get a load book for the .41 mag. which has copied data from most of the popular loading manuals. They cost around $7.00 from Midway. 

these are great for people who want to pay $8 for really out of date data from the 80's that include none of the powders or bullets developed in the past 20yrs.

The last load book I got has a copyright of 2004. I believe that is a bet newer than 20 years ago. The book lists many more different powders and bullets than any manual you buy. The load books are $7 not $8 which you can't even buy a good burger and fries for that price anymore. I think the load books are very good value for the money. The book lists around thirty different powders.
 If you don't like them you can go get a specific manual by a bullet manufacturer and pay 20 to 30 dollars every time a new newfangled  powder or bullet comes on the market. 
The thing great about reloading is that there are many options out there, and not the same thing fits everybody.

The only two powders I need for the .357, .41, and .44 are unique for plinker loads  and W296 for mag. loads, and they have been around for years. I don't care what new powder they come out with these two work as well as any.  Then some people want to try every new powder and new bullet on the market. If that is what you like to do, its your choice.